Knitting-needle.



F. L. SESSIONS.

KNITTING NEEDLE.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV-27.1917. 1,286,125. Patented Nov. 26,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

F. L. SESSIONS.

KNITTING NEEDLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-27,1917.

1 ,286, 125. V Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wan/7f,

F. L. SESSIONS.

KNITTING NEEDLE.

APPLICATION FILED N 0V. 21. 1911.

1 ,286, 125. Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- FRANK L. SESSIONS, 01! LAKEWOOD, OHIO.

KNITTING-NEEDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

Application filed November 27, 1917. Serial No. 204,241.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. Snssroxs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lakewood, in the county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Needles, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to hand knitting needles, and has for its principal object the provision of a new and improved needle for knitting either flat or tubular knitted articles. To accomplish the objects of my invention I provide a needle having a flexible,

work carrying or body portion terminating at its ends in knitting points, the extreme ends of which are fashioned or shaped as are the points of the ordinary hand knitting needle.

In knitting with ordinary knitting needles it is necessary when knitting flat work to employ two needles and to kn1t first off from the one, on which the work has been cast, on to the other, and then from the latter on to the former and so on, the work being carried by one needle only when a row has been finished. At all other times the work is carried partly by one needle and partly by the other. For knitting tubular articles it is necessarythat the work be carried by three or more needles and that 'an extra needle be employed for knitting the work off from one of the work carrying needles. IVhen the work is large. as when knitting a sweater, it has heretofore been necessary to employ extremely long needles which it is comparatively diflicult and tiresome to manipulate, especially if the work be heavy or bulky.

Vith my new and improved needle either flat or tubular work may be knitted upon a single needle having one or two points, and the labor is much less tiresome and can be performed in less time and with less danger of mistakes with ordinary knitting needles.

My invention is clearly shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figures 1. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are perspective views of one of my improved needles, the different figures showing the approximate positions assumed by the points when knit- 4 ting a stitch off from one point on to the other;

Figs. 6. 7, 8, 9, 10.11. 12 and 13 are views of needles embodying my invention but being made than when knitting made in various ways of various materials which will be further described;

Figs. 14 and 15 show a modificatlon of any improvement incorporated in a needle having a single knitting point.

The needle shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive has round knitting points, 1, 2, and a flat, flexible body portion, 3.

In all forms of needles embodying my invention it is desirable that the periphery of the transverse section of the needle be constant throughout the entire length except at the extreme, pointed ends, in order that the stitches may slip readily from point to body portion and vice versa. It is also desirable that the surface of the needle be smooth and slick throughout the entire length for the same reason. I have found hard rubber or celluloid needles having points of suflicient stiflness to properly pick up and cast the stitches. and having flexible body portions to be satisfactory.

The flexible, body portion of the needle may be made of the same material as the points. or it may be made of different material and secured to the points in any convenient and suitable way.

In Figs. 6 and 7 there is shown a needle which has points, 4, 5, secured in hollow sockets, 6, 7, which are formed upon or secured to the flat body portion, 8. The points, 4, 5, may be secured in the sockets, 6, 7. in any suitable way such as by threading the shanks of the points where they enter the sockets or bysimply making a snug fit of the shanks of the points in the sockets. The points may be permanently secured to the flexible body. or. by making the points removable. difl'erent lengths may be substituted to suit the nature of the work or the convenience of the knitter. It will be understood that the points. 4. 5. may be made of any convenient material such as celluloid. rubber, ivory. steel or other material. and that the flexible. body portion. 8. and the socket portion. 6. 7. may also be made of any suitable material.

In Figs. 8 and 9, there are shown the knittingpoints. 10, 11. pivoted to the flexible, flat, body portion. 12. The flexible needle permits heavy work which may be carried by it to sag naturally into the lap of the knitter without being supported by the hands.

In Fig. 10 there is shown a needle having ting needle which is that a cable of this sort points, 13, 14, secured to the ends of a round, tubular, flexible body member, 15. This flexible body member may be made of any suitable material. I have found that soft rubber, provided with a smooth, slick surface can be used for this purpose. I have also found that tubes braided from cotton or silk thread and coated with varnish can be used in the manner shown in Fig. :10.

In Fig. 11 there is shown a needle having points, 16, 17, secured to the ends of a round, flexible, body portion, 18, which is composed of a stranded cable. I have found made of fine, metallic w1res can be used. In Fig. 12 there is shown a needle having points 19, 20, made of the same kind of material as the body portion, 21. essential that the points be stifl enough to properly pick up and cast the stitches. The point and body material may be celluloid,

ard rubber, vegetable reed, metallic wire, or other substance. I

In Fig. 13 there is shown a needle having points, 22, 23, secured to a round, flexible, body portion, 24, made-ofbraided strands or of a flexible core covered with a braided armor of fine metal wire, silk thread or any other suitable material. Figs. 14 and'15show a modification of my invention consisting of a needle having a single, round, knitting point, 25, and a flat, flexible, body portion, 26. It will be understood that the use of this needle is the same as the use of the ordinary, single end, knitmade of stifl' material, but does not have the flexible, body portion. The flexible, body portion, 25, bends down and out o the way of the hands and arms I do not limit myself to any particularconstruction of the flexible portion of my needle. Any suitable article aving the desired flexibility may be employed AI have also used flexible metallic tubing and flexible, metal-armored wires. he chief requisites of the flexible portion of'myneedle are that it have a smooth surface and that its transverse section have a perlphery of substantially the same length throughout the length of the flexible portion and that this periphery be the same as that of the cross section of the cylindrical knittmg points.

Referring again to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive nthe manner of using my two point flexible itting needle will be readily understood from the following explanation :The stitches, to any number desired, are first cast upon, say, point, 1, Fig. 1. They may be only a few, when for knitting narrow work, or they may be enough to practically fill the length of the needle except about a half inch at each extremeend, when for knitting It is"-1 Work is next knit ofl resales wide, flat Work or circular tubular work.

After the required number of stitches have been cast upon point, 1, ofl to the supply ball from the last stitch cast upon that point, in the same way it does when the work has been cast upon an ordinary knitting needle. To knit flat work, point, 2, is used as illustrated in Figs 1 to 5 inclusive, which shows the approximate consecutive positions assumed by that point in knitting one stitch. Those skilled in the art of hand knitting will readily observe thatthese positions. are the same as those assumed by the point of an ordinary knitting needle'in knitting one stitch from an other needle.

the yarn will lead.

Asthestitches are knitted ofl' from point,

on to point, 2, the work will slip around the flexible body portion in a clock wise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. When all of the stitches have been knitted on to point, 2,

the points are reversed in position, and the from 'point, 2, on to polnt, 1, and so on until the desired size of the article has been formed.

In order to knit a circular tubular article, the stitches are cast on to point, 1, as before, until they substantially fill the length of the needle, but instead of starting to knit ofl' from point, 1, to point, 2, as when knitting flat articles, the position of the points is reversed and the stitches are knit ofl' from point, 2, on to point, 1, thus joining the ends of the first row of stitches cast upon the needle, and thereafter the knitting may be continued in the same direction around and around the article until the desired length of the tube has been. formed, may be reversed at theend of any round of stitches to produce the ribs which are produced by reversing the direction of knitting on flat work. In fact, the direction of knitting may be reversed at any point of any round desired.

It will be evident to those skilled iir the art that the total length of my flexible needle need be only as great as that of either one of a pair of ordinary stiff needles used for itting flat work of, the, same width. It will also be apparent that two or more of my flexible needles may be used. in the same. manner that ordinary stifl needles are used n knitting and that any work-which can be can be my invention, I

1. A knitting needle having a knitting point and a body flexible and inert throughout its length substantially as described.

or, the direction 2. A knitting needle having two knitting points and a body flexible and inert throughout its length substantially as described.

3. A knitting needle having a knitting point and a smooth, flat, inert body flexible throughout its length.

4. A knitting needle having a substantially stifl knitting end and a flat body portion, the flat body portion being disposed so as to be most flexible in the plane of the knitting.

' 5. A knitting needle having two stiif knitting ends and' a flexible body portion, said body portion being more flexible in the plane of the knitting ends than in other directions.

6. A knitting needle having a stiff knit ting end and a body flexible in one plane but stifl' in a direction transverse to. the plane of its flexibility, the greater flexibility of the body in one plane being due to the shape of its cross section. v

7. A knitting needle having a substantially round knitting end and a flat body portion, the girth of the cross section of the body portion being substantially the same asthe girth of the cross section of the knit-ting end.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK L. SESSIONS.

Witnesses:

ALFRED C. NELSON, FRANCES K. MANN. 

